Shortie Says!

Dear Shortie, I perspire excessively from my armpits all the time. How can I control this?-Sweaty PitsDear Sweaty Pits,Excessive perspiration can be alarming. However, there are ways to take care of it. Try using liners that can be placed in your clothing to absorb the sweat as well as reducing stress by trying breathing exercises. Practice good personal hygiene; using chloride-based antiperspirant just after you take a shower. Also, recent research shows that cutting down on food items such as caffeine, alcohol, sugar and salt is known to make a difference. Prescription drugs that supposedly reduce sweating, such as those that contain aluminum chloride may also help some people. -Shortie

Dear Shortie,How do you calculate which days you’re able to become pregnant?-Fertile MyrtleDear Fertile Myrtle,It’s impossible to know exactly when you could get pregnant because you’re most fertile around the day you ovulate—which, if you have a regular 28-day cycle, is any day between days 10 and 17 (counting from the first day of your last period). Since sperm can stay alive inside your body for 72 hours, that means if you have sex on day 7, you could get pregnant three days later, when you ovulate. Plus, many women ovulate at other times of the month, so there’s no way for them to know when they could get pregnant. That means even if your cycle is regular, it’s always risky to try to calculate when you could get pregnant. You never know for sure.-Shortie

Dear Shortie,My boyfriend and I have recently decided that we don’t want to use condoms. We were thinking of The Pill as another option. Can you tell me more about the benefits and disadvantages?-Pills Anyone?Dear Pills Anyone?There are many benefits associated with the birth control pill. It’s simple to take, and doesn’t interfere with having sex. Many women even say their sex lives have improved because they are more spontaneous. The pill can also reduce menstrual cramps, make periods lighter, help with acne and provide some protection against pelvic inflammatory disease. On the other hand there are side effects such as breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, spotting, heart attack, stroke, blood clots and minimal weight gain. So, it’s important to choose the method that works best for you.-Shortie